The present invention generally relates to controlling input to a plurality of computer windows, and more particularly to directing input to a computer window that a user is visually focused on.
In a multiple window computing environment, a computer user may have multiple computer windows open or displayed on a display device (e.g., a computer monitor). To enter data into a particular computer window (i.e., directing input commands to an application associated with the particular computer window), the user focuses on the particular window or causes the particular window to become active. Focusing (or activation) may occur by some activity by the user, e.g., clicking on the desired window with a cursor on the display and a mouse button, or by hovering the cursor over the desired window. Generally, such activation requires physical manipulation of an input device, e.g., by the user's hands. If a second computer window is open, the user focuses on (or activates) the second computer window prior to entering data into the second window. Typically, when focus is directed to a particular window, data entry (including input commands) is exclusively directed to the active window. To resume entering data in the initial computer window, the user returns focus to the initial computer window and the second computer window becomes inactive.